In Chains
by Captain Hilts
Summary: A 'missing' tale from Jabba's Palace. Princess Leia copes with being a visitor to the notorious gangster's hideout, and the fact a certain bounty hunter is there to call her bluff any chance he gets... Oneshot.


**Author's note: Sorry about the bad summary. Haha. Just a little background: I liked the idea of having Fett and Leia interact, just because I've never really seen a story with them doing so. I wanted to write from Leia's perspective as well; to see what was going through her mind that first night she was kept a prisoner. Oh, and I do not own these characters; also, the character that appears at the end belongs to Elizabeth Hand… Well, enjoy! :D Happy reading!**

The band played long into the afternoon. The loud wailing sounds filled the hot, dingy throne room of the palace of Jabba the Hutt. Several creatures all moved and danced to the strange music; lithe dancing girls clad in elaborate costumes twirled and stepped delicately, though their faces conveyed no joy in what they were doing.

Leia Organa surveyed the room with curious eyes. She had never been in a place like this, one where decadence, slavery and corruption could all co-exist. It was almost like a shock to her system. She felt the need to help everyone who deserved it, _wanted_ to help, but knew she couldn't. The plan had to be followed, no matter what. Even if she thought Luke's idea was more than a little insane, it would work. She trusted him. But the fact that she was here, that she had the opportunity to help other people at the same time- that was what pulled at her heartstrings more than anything.

Leia felt as if she were melting, clad in the uncomfortable uniform of an Ubese bounty hunter. In order to fully initiate the plan of action, she had to be in perfect disguise. Luckily, the uniform fit her well and hid her figure, though she was miserable; her lips were parched, her mouth was dry and sweat continuously dripped into her eyes. Her hair curled into her vision and stuck to the back of her neck. But Leia was more than willing to sacrifice her comfort to accomplish her mission.

An impromptu celebration had begun due to her "capture" of Chewbacca. It made Leia sick to think of what horrors the Wookie was sure to encounter in the depths of the palace. Somehow, she knew Chewie was upset, both angry and frightened. It was the only part of Luke's plan she disliked, aside from the fact she was literally risking her life standing in the throne room of the galaxy's most notorious crimelord.

It the heat was so oppressive inside, both from the mass of creatures crammed into the space and the warmth from several rotisseries that lined the space behind Jabba's dais. Various creatures and humanoids would scurry into view from behind a distant door leading into the kitchens, each time serving food or tending to him. The gluttonous Hutt still reclined on his platform, occasionally stuffing a frog into his lipless mouth and swallowing it with a burp. Leia cringed in disgust behind the helmet.

She stood off to the corner near the staircase leading into the room, arms crossed. Her shoulder was propped against the rough stone wall in attempt to appear as casual as possible. Most of the inhabitants of the palace were weary of speaking to her and she preferred it that way. Bracing herself, Leia stood up straight from the wall and began to trek through the crowds that had gathered in every alcove around the throne room. The combined chatter of multiple languages and the continuous wails of the band's signers blared in her ears as she walked. She had to occasionally shove creatures out of her path; the music was loudest by the niches where the band played. The singers 'oohed' and 'ahhed' as the instruments wailed away. Leia could feel the bass tones thudding in her ears and chest even through the helmet. The object of her search was just a few feet away and her heart pounded at the realization. Before she could reach her destination, her skin tingled unpleasantly and an odd feeling fell over her. She stopped walking, immobile amidst the dancing crowd. Turning her head, her gaze settled on a familiar figure standing behind Jabba's platform.

A figure wearing battle scarred Mandalorian armor.

Leia had never felt the surge of hatred and fear that came upon seeing the bounty hunter- for that was what he was. Her eyebrows knitted into a deep 'v' as she watched him.

_Boba Fett_.

He had brought Vader to Bespin, had almost killed Luke…

…He'd taken Han from her.

Fett was probably here to keep watch of him, to bask in all the glory and credits Jabba had no doubt graciously bestowed upon him. Leia gritted her teeth. Fett was watching her; she hoped he could feel her anger.

She forced herself to turn away and continued on her trek. Through her anger and anxiety she wondered why he was seemingly keeping an eye on her. Could it have something to do with Chewie? Fett's suspicions could have been triggered by the Wookie's appearance, though Leia couldn't know for sure.

_Does _anyone_ know what he's thinking beneath that helmet?_

Boba Fett moved like a man, looked like a man, but his voice sounded almost droid-like. Leia could remember every word he said, the way chills had crept up her spine at the unemotion:

_What if he doesn't survive? _He had said_, He's worth a lot to me_.

Leia had remembered that the most, how fear had completely seized her heart at the realization Han might have died. It disturbed her to realize Boba Fett treated all creatures as objects, forming a relationship only for business. He was detached from guilt, sadness, compassion; Leia would have pitied him had she not been there to witness his lack of concern for another's life.

She continued through the crowd, watching Fett from the corner of her eye. He was standing to the left of the rotisseries, now seemingly watching the band. Leia was interested to see a young woman appear from behind the kitchen door, carrying a tray of food. She set the tray down on the dais and headed back for the kitchen, but not before she paused to tap the bounty hunter on the shoulder. Leia was afraid for the woman, praying Fett wouldn't hurt her for such a bold move. He whipped around to face the girl, and to Leia's surprise, she laughed at him. Leia narrowed her eyes as they conversed. The woman soon turned to leave, grinning, but Fett grasped her wrist, leaning forward to speak in her ear. She nodded and smiled again, hurriedly making her way back to the kitchens.

Leia wasn't expecting to feel so strange. Fett had a _friend_ in this hellish place? She shook her head. No, the girl was probably a "gift" from Jabba. The disgust returned to her again and she glared at him.

_Han Solo is three times the man you are, bounty hunter_.

The music rumbled to a stop and the audience cheered. Even beneath her helmet, Leia's ears were ringing in the new silence. Jabba grunted something that sounded like Huttese, though it could have been gurgling from all the food he'd been eating. Thankful the din of the band had ceased, Leia focused on her previous task. She faced the alcoves, pushing past several creatures, and soon found herself in front of Han Solo, the man she loved, completely encased in carbonite.

The view through the helmet's visor suddenly blurred as tears stung behind Leia's eyes. Han had been hung on a wall like nothing more than grisly _art_. She could feel tears rolling down her cheeks as she gazed up at him. Her heart ached at seeing him there. Leia shook her head, fighting the urge to free him right there, capture and death be damned.

Now the only thing left to do was wait.

Luke would be arriving that night to the rendezvous point outside the palace. It was Leia's job to get Han and take him out of the throne room; Lando, who had already infiltrated the palace a few days ago, would get Chewbacca from the cellblock and follow her. Should anything go wrong…Leia wasn't sure what to do. Luke had assured her he'd accounted for every outcome, though she had reason to worry at any rate. It seemed like she spent most of her time worrying...

She was so preoccupied with her thoughts she hardly realized Boba Fett was striding through the crowd in her direction. Her heart shot up to her throat, but she straightened up, ready to face him.

He walked right past her, the end of his cape lifting up behind him as he went.

Leia scowled after him, watching as he stepped up to the bar tucked away in the corner of the room to order a drink. Her frown deepened with curiosity, wondering why Fett even bothered. Once the bartender set the glass down before him, the bounty hunter flicked him a credit chip. Ice bobbled invitingly within the amber liquid and Leia realized only then just how thirsty she was.

Boba Fett turned from the bar and headed back through the crowd, heading straight for her. What felt like a million thoughts raced through Leia's mind as he came closer. Fett was nearly upon her, when he suddenly extended his arm and pressed the drink right into her hand. Without breaking stride, he continued on past her.

"It's on me," the bounty hunter rasped.

Leia was too shocked to respond. She stood rooted to the spot, watching as the figure clad in green Mandalorian armor weaved through the crowd without a backward glance. She could feel the cold seep in through her glove and stared down at the drink incredulously.

Boba Fett knew. Somehow, some way, he knew… And he wanted her to know it.

* * *

She didn't know whether to scream or cry or both. She kept it all inside, even as she stood there with nothing to cover herself aside from a filthy off-white blanket. Her aristocratic upbringing had managed to save her a shred of dignity, even with intensity of several creatures leering at her form.

Leia had failed in her mission, and now she was going to pay for it with this humiliation. Han had once again been torn from her arms, though thankfully not by the bounty hunter. If Leia was could have been happy in her current state, it was because Boba Fett was not there to witness this moment.

The dancing girls-whose already somber faces had taken on an expression of pity- walked up to her, carrying with them one of their costumes. Leia glared.

"I'm not wearing it," she said through clenched teeth.

One of the girls, a teenager with large brown eyes, held out the costume to her again.

"Please. Would you rather wear nothing?"

Leia drew up the thin blanket tighter around her shoulders. The women stood in front of her, clearly sympathetic. They all knew who she was; knew what they were trying to convince her to do. Leia finally-regrettably- relented, setting her jaw. Almost diplomatically, she nodded her head and let out a short sigh. The dancers respectfully surrounded her to block her from view as they helped her slip into the skimpy clothing. Leia was thankful for their concern; it was something she would never forget.

Once the outfit was on her, she found herself hoping for the filthy blanket again to cover herself. She felt naked even with the new clothes on, humiliated and furious. The girls regretfully led her over to sit on Jabba's platform, clasping a thick collar and chain around her neck. The teenage dancer climbed up behind her and began to tightly braid Leia's long dark hair. Once she was 'presentable,' the women left her to file back on to the floor in front of the throne to perform in honor of her capture. They each granted her an apologetic look before the band suddenly burst to life. The noise covered Leia's uncontrollable sob. The only thing that prevented her from erupting into tears was her worry for Han and her hatred for the Hutt. Jabba tugged hard on the chain, nearly choking her. Leia glowered at him, seizing the edge of the dais to hold steady. Her eyes flitted across the room, searching for her friends-anyone- who might be able to help her. To her dismay, there was no one.

She was alone…

* * *

Mercifully, darkness fell. The throne room finally went silent and the lights were doused. Despite her exhaustion, Leia did not join the creatures around her in slumber. Instead, she searched for a way out. Her chain was fairly long and allowed her plenty of movement; it had fallen from Jabba's hand as he slept, to her relief. She slinked down from the platform, feeling the cold seep in through the leather of her shoes. With a shiver, Leia pressed on, circling around the dais to where the rotisseries had been. The smell of roasted meat was still strong and her stomach turned with pangs of hunger. Carefully, she held the chain in both palms and lifted it over the bulk of the sleeping Hutt. Whether or not she escaped that night, Leia still wanted to be as far away from him as possible. She was cautious to place her steps, moving to sit cross-legged and began to pull at her collar.

She pulled until her fingers hurt from the effort, but the leather was too strong. Frustrated, Leia wrapped her arms around her knees and sighed. She shivered in the darkness, and hung her head.

_How could I have let this happen? Han's in worse shape now, thanks to me..._ Leia squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore the sting of tears. _Luke…I'm sorry, Luke._

"…Princess?"

The voice startled her. She turned to see a figure standing in the doorway leading into the kitchens. Leia fumbled with the satin of her costume, trying desperately to cover herself.

"Princess?" the voice whispered again.

Leia nodded silently to let the person know she was listening. To her surprise, once the person stepped into the smoky dim light, she could see it was the woman whom Boba Fett had spoken to. She sat down cautiously beside Leia, presenting a small plate of food.

"Please eat something, Your Highness."

The woman pressed the plate into her hands. Leia looked over at her hesitantly.

"Who…are you?" she asked in a whisper.

The woman smiled. "My name is Ygabba Hise," she answered, "I'm the head dessert chef here- now _eat_, Princess."

"Call me Leia."

"And you may call me Ygabba. But please eat something!" she insisted.

Leia couldn't help smiling, picking up a few morsels of meat between her fingers. She popped them in her mouth and was instantly grateful for Ygabba's presence. It was close to the best thing she'd ever tasted.

"Is it good?"

Leia nodded, stuffing another piece in her mouth. She knew she was younger than this woman, though Ygabba did not look older than mid-thirty. Blonde hair fell lightly to her shoulders, pulled back slightly with a bandanna to keep it from falling into her eyes. Her short sleeved tunic was peppered with flour in places and had a few holes in the sleeves. The lopsided collar had slipped down to one of her shoulders. Her dark skirt was marked similarly with various spices and flour. Her eyes didn't have the distant faded look Leia had seen on several inhabitants of the palace; they were bright and inquiring, but tired eyes.

"Thank you," Leia murmured as she passed the plate back to her.

"You're most welcome, Princess," Ygabba replied with a smile. She set the plate aside and began to search her pockets. "I have one more gift for you."

Leia shook her head. "No, please; you've done enough- I don't want you to get caught."

"I'll be alright. I'm the only one in this place who has protection."

Leia frowned slightly, watching as Ygabba suddenly held up her hand. Between her fingers was a slender pick-lock. Her smile was a dull white in the darkness.

"I'm getting you out of here."

Leia found herself feeling oddly conflicted, watching with wide eyes as Ygabba circled around behind her to begin picking the lock of her collar. She worked quietly as if she'd had practice at sneaking around. In spite of that, Leia still found her actions cause for worry. Her eyes scanned the dark room for any sign of someone watching them. She turned to look up at the woman.

"You're risking too much!"

Ygabba shook her head. "I'm not risking anything I'm not willing to give up."

Leia's shoulders sagged and she shook her head helplessly. _Does that include your life? _

She winced as the collar tugged against her throat. The chain plinked against the stone platform, sounding impossibly loud in the silence of the throne room. Leia's skin prickled with fear as she thought of what would happen to this poor woman if anyone realized what she was up to.

"Please, leave me alone," she whispered, struggling to keep her voice quiet, "You'll get caught!"

"It takes a lot to wake a sleeping Hutt," Ygabba replied dismissively.

Jabba suddenly gave a hideously loud snore, causing both women to start. Leia pressed her hand to her lips to muffle any sound; Ygabba instinctively jumped from the dais and fell into a crouch. Her eyes were wild with adrenaline and fear. Leia only dared to let out her breath once Jabba snorted and fell back into his normal sleep. Her heart was roaring in her ears.

"Why must you do this?!" Leia hissed desperately.

Ygabba deftly climbed back up beside her and resumed her task.

"Because no one else will."

Leia pursed her lips as the pick-lock ground into the collar once more. Behind them, Jabba's tail flapped lazily, knocking pillows from the platform. Leia suddenly felt an unpleasant feeling come over her and shivers went up her spine. Her heart began to pound faster.

"Ygabba…"

Footsteps sounded down the nearby corridor. Horribly familiar footsteps. Leia snatched the woman's arm in effort to get her attention. Before she could say anything further, a shadow swept across them, and the figure of Boba Fett stepped into the dim light. Leia attempted to swallow the lump in her throat, but could not.

"Ygabba."

It was Leia who jumped at the sound of his voice. She was surprised to hear him speak. He stepped closer and she tensed, still holding tight to Ygabba's arm. She was still working at the collar, seemingly unaware of Fett's presence.

"You know you can't do this," he said.

Leia heard a trace of sympathy in his voice; he was unexpectedly quiet. Fett was not even looking at her; his attention was focused completely on the woman attempting to free her.

"I _can_ do this," Ygabba countered, "That _thing _has gotten away with enough. I won't let her be rancor food."

Leia instinctively shrank away as Boba Fett stepped closer. She could smell leather, smoke and oil as she watched the bounty hunter lay his hand on Ygabba's thin shoulder. She ceased her work on the collar.

"You know I'm right," she told him, turning to look up into the T-visor, "You do."

"I can't protect you from the consequences of this," Fett replied.

Ygabba took a moment as if to think and sighed shakily. Leia could see that her lips were trembling and her eyes were oddly bright, even in the darkness.

"You can't, Ygabba," said Fett.

Leia gripped her hand sympathetically, turning to look up at her. A tear had appeared on one of her cheeks.

"He's right," Leia whispered.

Ygabba sniffed, wiping her eyes with her free hand. She looked back at Fett powerlessly.

"You know who she is, what she represents. She doesn't deserve this, Boba."

Leia was surprised Ygabba called him by his name. His fingers tightened almost reassuringly on her shoulder.

"You don't deserve to die saving her."

Ygabba faced Leia once again and held back a sob, smiling weakly. She knelt to sit beside her and Fett allowed her this action.

"I've always admired you, Princess," Ygabba told her softly, "You truly have given me strength when my friends were not here to help me. I was always grateful for that." The woman paused to embrace her tightly. "I was only trying to return the favor…"

Leia didn't know what to say. It was the single most touching thing anyone had ever said to her.

"Thank you, Ygabba," she finally said, "I…I will find a way to repay you for your bravery."

She pulled away and fixed her with another feeble smile. Boba Fett had grasped her wrist and began to lead her out of the room. Leia was nearly moved by the care the bounty hunter took toward Ygabba; clearly they knew each other well. She took one last look back at Leia before disappearing into the shadows. Fett was about to follow, but paused. He turned slowly and faced Leia, letting Ygabba go on without him. She tensed again and shrank away slightly, uncomfortable under his piercing gaze. They stared at each other for a moment.

"I admire your tenacity, Leia Organa," he finally told her, "It takes more than a diplomat to do the things you have done."

She scowled, but said nothing, unconsciously wrapping her arms around herself to hide her exposed skin.

"Your friend has more heart than you, Fett," she finally said.

He tilted his head, as if he agreed with her.

"Ygabba has always been a sympathetic person. But even I find your situation most unfortunate."

He reached for something and Leia flinched. He looked so menacing in the smoky light, highlighted with shadows. Instead of a weapon, he presented a small canteen to her.

"Take it."

Leia glanced from him, to the canteen and back again.

"My fight is not with you," Fett declared, "Nor was it with Solo."

Leia just stared at him. The silence seemed to press in on her ears as she gazed back at him. He was being honest with her; perhaps there was indeed something human about him. She took in a breath and held out her hand.

"There better be some strong liquor in there."

Fett pressed the canteen into her palm and she took it with a smirk. She thought she heard a faint laugh from under the helmet, but couldn't be sure.

"It's on me," he said.

Leia's smirk broadened into a crooked grin. Boba Fett nodded to her once and faded back into the shadows to leave her alone yet again. She heard his footsteps fade away down the corridor and opened the canteen in her hand. With a small sigh, she surveyed the throne room, still conscious of the heavy chain that hung from the collar around her neck. Jabba the Hutt grunted in his sleep and she cringed in disgust. Leia wrapped her arm around her knees and held the canteen to her lips.

_Here's to tenacity_.

She took a sip, and laughed lightly. Crisp, cold water had never tasted so good.


End file.
